


Louder

by crossmeetsarrows



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bands, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fairs, M/M, One Shot, Valentine's Day, event organizing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 07:36:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14848487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crossmeetsarrows/pseuds/crossmeetsarrows
Summary: “You. The song was for you.”While working on their literature project, Chrom invited Robin to watch his newly-formed band, The Shepherds, in the the nearby Valentine's fair.





	Louder

_This is ridiculous._

Robin downed his third cup of earl grey tea and nearly slammed the said cup back on the table  
in frustration. It was already Valentine’s day and he did not have a single plot idea.

_Any prompt! Anything will do!_

Robin massaged his temples; his headache was getting worse and he was not making any progress. Should he order another pot of tea? Is there such a thing as tea poisoning? At least it’s not alcohol that he’s binge drinking, right?

_Focus!_

Robin tore out the art he was working on his sketchpad. Watercolor painting wasn’t helping with his writer’s block either. He couldn’t properly transfer the imagined scene in his head unto the sheet and it’s just adding on his frustrations. Actually, he shouldn’t even be worrying about his fanfic and art at the present. He has a more urgent deadline tomorrow — a new thesis chapter.

_I’m dead. Henry should start preparing my funeral._

“Aww, why did you tear it out? It was looking great.” An unexpected voice broke through his chaotic thoughts. Robin shifted his focus toward the handsome blue-haired political science major across him. Chrom was slightly frowning.

“I-it didn’t turn out the way I wanted.” Robin sadly looked at his work which he was about to crumple and throw at the bin. Chrom leaned closer. “Can I have it?” He sincerely requested. Robin’s breath hitched and he struggled not to look at Chrom with wide eyes.  
_He’s kidding, right?!_

“It’s not really good, I can give you something way better.” Robin scrunched his eyebrows. He wanted to burn the piece of shit that Chrom caught him working on.

“I’m sure you can, but you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself, you know? Relax.” Chrom gently comforted him and patted his shoulder.  
_Shit. I’ll never wash this shirt ever again. OH GODS, ROBIN, STOP._

“Alright, you can have it. But I promise I’ll give you something better.” Robin said with conviction.

A minute of silence passed since Robin eventually found himself at a loss for words. Chrom broke the ice by bringing up their literature assignment. After many cups of tea, the two finally succeeded in making an outline for their project and in collating credible references for it.

In the midst of their meeting, Robin recognized a blond girl who walked into the cafe; it was Lissa, his self-proclaimed ‘writing apprentice.’ She was heading to their direction and expected her to greet him first and discuss with him about whatever plot that’s brewing in her head, when she unexpectedly decided to greet Chrom first instead.

“Oh, Chrom! So this is your cute literature partner that you kept talking about! I should have known that it was Robin!” Lissa giggled at her brother’s antics.

“You know each other?” Robin asked, surprised at this new information.

“He’s my brother that I was planning to introduce you to! I really think that you’ll make great friends!” Lissa winked.

Robin’s brain almost short-circuited. Lissa was planning to set him up with her hot brother all this time! _So that’s why she keeps mentioning him! How did I not even know that they’re siblings?!_

Chrom almost spit out his drink. “L-lissa, what brings you here?” He completely broke eye contact with Robin from embarrassment. “You should be working on our new song for tonight. Last time I checked, you’re still not that consistent with the last few notes.” The polsc major desperately tried to change the topic.

“Hey, I’ve been working on it all day you know! I’m not wasting my free periods!” Lissa defended.

“Speaking of tonight, I was wondering if you could come.” Chrom hesitantly shifted his position, gathering the courage to turn and face Robin again. _Please say yes._ He silently begged Naga for this rare chance. He truly wanted his partner to watch him onstage.

“My band will be performing live at a fair so… I think that you might enjoy it. There will also be spoken word performances, and I heard that you’re a writer…” Chrom trailed off.

“Heard that you’re a writer.” Lissa rolled her eyes. “Chrom is a fan of your work, his fave is your leokumi college AU.” Lissa said matter-of-factly. She believed that her brother should be more forward if he’s really determined in getting what he wants. Her brother may have been projecting a suave impression, but in reality, he’s actually a dork who can barely confess what he’s feeling.

Robin couldn’t believe the words that came out of Lissa’s mouth. He had a hard time processing the words ‘Chrom’ and ‘leokumi’ in one sentence, was that even possible? First, it meant that Chrom may have played Fire Emblem at one point. Second, he ships or simply doesn’t mind the archer-dark knight pair. Wait, I’m missing something! Robin repeated Lissa’s statement in his head again and again, his eyes widening when the meaning behind her words finally sank in. _Chrom is a fan of my work! CHROM IS A FAN-WHAT?!_ But that AU had some cheesy parts- Robin winced. Great, his thoughts ended up becoming downright chaotic in a span of seconds.

“I’m sorry for not being completely honest.” Chrom broke his train of thought.

“I really love your work, but I guess I just didn’t know how I’ll bring up the topic.” His project partner added with a slight tinge of red on his cheeks.

“It’s fine, if you want, you can also help me out with the new fic I’m working on…” _Which I haven’t started at all._ Robin thought guiltily. He was supposed to post something tonight, but given the circumstances, it may just not be feasible.

“And as for the fair, I would really love to watch your band, but I also have to go to an org event tonight.” Robin dreaded his bad luck. He had the urge to be irresponsible and ditch his organization duties just this once. Technically he could, he is the publicity head yet he’s not really needed on-ground, but it would be much better if the heads of the organizing team would be there.

Robin didn’t want to give Chrom a straight no though, because he really wanted to watch his performance. He envied the organizers who were able to invite Chrom’s band to their event. How come their programs team didn’t consider _The Shepherds_? Surely they can lure a large crowd to the fair even if the band was just newly formed. Chrom and his friends were already fairly well known on campus. Who doesn’t even know Chrom anyway? He’s the star of the university’s fencing team. People say that he’s active in joining volunteer work along with his sisters. He also won a couple of public policy competitions. He’s a well-rounded student and he’s even attractive! Robin had not heard him sing yet, but he recognizes that Chrom has a good speaking voice. Maybe he can sing well too?

“Chrom, maybe I can watch you next time? Does your band already have other gigs lined up aside from the one tonight?”

Robin found out that they will be performing in a nearby bar a week later and he promised to himself that he won’t let go of that chance to watch Chrom, Lissa and their friends.

Lissa finally left them in the coffee shop so she can squeeze in some last minute practice for tonight’s performance. Robin and Chrom attempted not to get sidetracked in discussing their project, but sometimes they find themselves switching to other non-academic related topics. The clock finally struck 5 and the two had to part ways. Chrom still had to make some preparations with his band, while Robin needed to meet his orgmates and make sure that tonight’s event would run smoothly. They couldn’t afford to commit huge mistakes in front of the many guests they invited since it will reflect badly on the organization.

* * *

 

Robin dashed to the fairgrounds, struggling as he carried his laptop, backpack and art materials.  
The journey to their organization’s booth was an obstacle course. Robin dodged many couples who were holding hands. He also almost collided with a man selling heart-shaped balloons.

“Bubbles, you made it! I bet you will love the surprise band tonight!” Gaius greeted him.

“Surprise band?” Robin felt lost. Was this on the program? He didn’t remember designing publicity materials for this band.

“Gaius, Robin seems to have forgotten.” Olivia said in a worried tone.

“He can’t forget it if he didn’t know about it in the first place! That’s why it’s a surprise!” Gaius grinned.

What is going on? If the org wants this event to run as smooth as possible, then all the members should be knowledgeable about most of the important details. An additional band to the current roster of bands is an important detail! Who is this new band?

“I uhhh… may have designed and uploaded a poster last night without your permission.” Gaius scratched the back of his head. “But we promise that you would love this band!”

Robin was a bit annoyed that Gaius didn’t approach him to get the said publicity material checked, but in that situation, his committee mate wouldn’t have been able to post the pubmat if their org was that bureaucratic. Robin was supposed to take an hour-long nap the night before, but it just so happened that he missed the 10 alarms that he set and woke up at 6 am instead of 8 pm. Gaius made the right decision in posting without his permission. The Programs team already approved the band anyway.

Robin was assigned by the overall head of the fair to man their organization’s booth along with the other members. The programs team also suspiciously banned him from going backstage, yet all the other members, including the officers unders him, were allowed. _Just what are they up to?_ It’s as if his org mates were plotting something. However, he was too tired to figure it out. Maybe it’s just the surprise band that Gaius mentioned earlier. But it still doesn’t make sense, is he somehow related to the band members? Will it be really that much of a big deal if he saw them? Robin decided to simply enjoy the night by listening to the great songs performed by the various bands while answering the queries of anyone who visits their booth.

Robin inhaled the cold air. He thought that there could have been more romantic ways to celebrate Valentine’s day than to man their booth as he watched the fairgoers spend their time with their loved ones. He looked around and took in the atmosphere. He caught himself smiling at the pair of high school girls exchanging presents, with one tentatively placing a kiss on the other’s cheek. Shifting away his gaze, he saw a group of friends who seemed to be meeting after a long time. All of them got into a group hug; they ended up laughing when they became a tangle of limbs and were unable to easily escape from the tight embrace. But then a toddler’s squeal suddenly caught his attention, apparently her father carried her and started tickling her. Different kinds of love surrounded Robin which made him feel warm. There could have been more romantic ways to celebrate Valentine’s day, but seeing that their org’s event made people happy, he realized that he was already quite satisfied. The warmth that he felt pushed him to start writing his supposedly Valentine’s fic.

Finally, when it was time for the surprise band to perform onstage, Robin wasn’t paying attention. He was still preoccupied with writing his fic.

“Good evening! We’re the Shepherds and we hope that you enjoy our performance!” That voice!  
Robin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Robin looked up from the word file on his laptop and met Chrom’s eyes. He was almost unable to breathe. _This was the fair he tried to invite me to?!_

Chrom’s eyes widened when he recognized the albino in the distant booth. He was elated that Robin can finally watch him. _He’s here! ...He’s one of the organizers?!_ Chrom realized, unable to conceal his shock. His dumbfounded reaction eventually ended up morphing into a grin.

“Chrom, don’t forget the lyrics!” Lissa teased her elder brother as she spotted her writing mentor. “Of course not! Robin’s here! I have to do my best!” He replied determinedly.

Apparently, this was caught by the mic and the audience started wondering who Robin is. Robin didn’t miss Chrom’s remark and tried to hide his blush. Coincidentally, Gaius joined Robin at the booth at this exact moment and noticed his friend’s flustered appearance.

“So… Have you found your love yet?” He waggled his eyebrows. Robin rolled his eyes at Gaius’s reference to the fair’s tagline: find your love.

“So this is what you have been planning all along.” Robin laughed at his orgmates’ antics. They can be really thoughtful at times.

“Well, we can’t just let your project partner end up just being your project partner, right?”

Robin tried to ignore Gaius’s implications. He just wanted to befriend Chrom for the meantime. He won’t deny that he has a crush on him, but instantly dating him isn’t necessary. He wanted to get to know him first. Based on Lissa’s stories and their recent interactions, he seems very interesting. He wants to explore the different sides of Chrom’s personality. He wishes to know what are his favorites, what makes him tick, what are his stands on certain issues, what does he care for the most… _I’m in deep._ Robin exhaled. He let Chrom’s voice drown his musings instead.

* * *

 

“For our last song, so uhh this is dedicated to…” Chrom paused as he gathered his wits.

“You can do this, Chrom!” Lissa cheered from behind. “No backing out now, leader!” Stahl gave him a firm pat on the back.

Chrom faced the crowd with more courage. “This is dedicated to the amazing writer and artist that inspired me to create this band! So, here goes…”

“I hung up the phone tonight, something happened for the first time. Deep inside, it was a rush, what a rush…”

* * *

 

“Whoever inspired Chrom must be something, huh?” Robin remarked. Chrom sang beautifully, Robin couldn’t help but be even more drawn to him. However, his chest tightened at Chrom’s dedication. _So there is someone he likes._ Robin couldn’t understand what he’s feeling, was it happiness? Pain? Jealousy? He should be happy, right? The Shepherds was able to present a wonderful performance.

Gaius threw Robin a bewildered look. His friend can’t be that stupid, can he? Robin was nicknamed _the tactician_ in their organization for Naga’s sake! How can he not figure out that Chrom had been attracted to him for a long time? Did he honestly think that Chrom just started paying attention to him when he became his project partner? How can Robin be that oblivious?

Olivia, who joined the two in the middle of the song, was able to decipher his reaction, “Gaius, just because someone is normally great at strategic thinking, doesn’t mean he is also adept at understanding matters of the heart.” The pink-haired beauty giggled.

“What are you two talking about?” Robin raised an eyebrow. He didn’t like being out of the loop.

“You have really been stressed recently, Robin, and we noticed that every time you talk about Chrom, you always seem to lighten up. Since you worked really hard on this event, we thought that you deserve this.” Olivia explained.

“Olivia, you don’t understand…” Robin had a pained look on his face.

“I don’t understand that he dedicated his cover of Crush to you? That was very obvious, don’t you think?” Olivia gave her friend a knowing look.

“Why would you assume that? He didn’t even say a name. W-we just met!”

“Robin!” The performance was over. Chrom went down the stage and excitedly approached his partner. “Did you like it?”

“Not dedicated to you, huh? And you’re the first one he asked.” Gaius chuckled. “Anyway, Olivia and I will be checking out that candy stall, have fun you two!” Gaius intertwined his fingers with his pink-haired girlfriend’s as they left.

“I didn’t know you could sing well. Who was it dedicated to again? This person must have really inspired you.” Robin smiled hesitantly.

“I thought I made it very obvious already?” Chrom threw him a puzzled look.

“I told you to say his name explicitly, remember?” Lissa was suddenly at Chrom’s side.

“Lissa, come along, I’m sure Chrom can fix this. Right, brother?” Emmeryn ushered Lissa away from the pair. She may have spoken gently, but there seemed to be an underlying threat in her words. Robin is one of the council’s most trusted and diligent volunteers. She would be very disappointed in her brother if he doesn’t treat him right.

“Y-you.” Chrom mumbled.

“What did you say?” Robin asked, unsure of Chrom’s reply.

Chrom tried to be smooth and suave, he really did. He wanted to be as charming and confident as possible, but in reality he was truly starting to lose his cool. He can’t let this chance go to waste! He started taking deep breaths. Robin raised an eyebrow at his companion’s antics. He tried to hold back his amusement, but he ended up laughing out loud anyway.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! HAHAHAHA! Don’t let me stop you! You seem like you’re preparing for some grand speech, I just can’t help it!” Robin wiped a few tears from his eyes. Chrom was such a dork and it made him even more irresistible.

“You. The song was for you.”

And Robin immediately stopped laughing then and there.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my first Fire Emblem fic! I admit that I'm not that confident with my characterization, but I tried my best! I just started playing last November 2017 and Chrobin made me feel so many emotions so I wanted to contribute to fanfics featuring the pair.
> 
> The fic title is inspired by one of Roselia's songs, Louder. I'm juggling playing bandori (a rhythm game about girls in bands) and FE Fates Revelation right now. 
> 
> I would also like to thank @katwithtweets and @stellarite_ for checking my work and listening and adding to my story ideas.
> 
> If you want to see shitposts and tweets about fire emblem, bandori, yuri on ice, etc., you may check out @so_katsudone_ on twitter


End file.
